Laser Cleaning of Painting Layers in Combination with Chemical Treatment

The work examined a fragment of the 18th-century bas-relief (metope) from the courtyard facade of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts building. As a result, a combined method was developed for cleaning a gypsum bas-relief from surface paint layers using a chemical solvent of dimethyl sulfoxide in combination with laser cleaning technology. Comparative analysis with the area cleaned by the traditional method showed that the area cleaned by the combined cleaning method had a more uniform color without visible surface damage.